Solid waste disposal is becoming an ever increasing problem throughout the world. As landfills continue to fill up, there has been an increased demand for material source reduction in disposable products, the incorporation of more recyclable components in disposable products and the design of products which can be disposed of by means other than by incorporation into solid waste disposal facilities such as landfills.
One product area that has received particular attention with respect to solid waste disposal is disposable diapers. Most diapers in the United States are disposed of in landfills. Other proposed methods of disposal have included making all or a portion of the diapers flushable in public sewage systems and/or making their components more compatible with evolving composting and biomethanization techniques.
Diapers and almost all personal care products include in their design a bodyside cover, an absorbent core and some type of outercover to protect the clothing of the wearer from becoming soiled. Most bodyside covers and outercovers are made from fibrous nonwoven webs and/or films that are made from thermoplastic polymers such as polyolefins and polyesters. These portions of the product and especially diapers usually have to have a fairly high degree of integrity so that they remain intact during use. This same integrity, however, makes their disposal as, for example, through flushing in a toilet just that much more difficult. Consequently there is a need for materials, components and product designs which make such disposable items as personal care absorbent products more compatible with alternative disposal techniques such as toilet flushing, composting and biomethanization.